An aquarium is a wonderful opportunity to remind yourself of the beautiful depths of distant seas
When setting up a new aquarium or restarting an old one, a beginner aquarist often faces the question of which substrate to use. To answer it correctly, you first need to decide what kind of aquarium you want – a fish aquarium or a planted aquarium? We will consider this question today, and you can purchase substrate at a specialized online store – here a huge selection of aquarium equipment is presented.
For the first type of aquarium, choosing a substrate is not a difficult task. As a rule, the substrate in aquariums for keeping fish and other underwater inhabitants should be chemically neutral, with rounded edges, and in appearance and color satisfy the aesthetic requirements of the owner. In some cases, for example, when keeping certain species of cichlids that live in hard water, marble or sandstone is used as a substrate, which releases minerals into the water, increasing its general hardness.
Conclusion: the main focus in maintaining a fish aquarium is not on the substrate as such, but on its timely and high-quality cleaning and cleaning of the water from the waste products of the aquarium inhabitants.
For planted aquariums, deciding on the choice of substrate is a slightly more difficult task. Unlike the previous type of aquarium, planted ones require a different approach in organization and maintenance. For successful cultivation of aquatic plants, in addition to good filtration and water circulation, relatively bright lighting, soft slightly acidic water, fertilizers, carbon dioxide, and most importantly – a substrate rich in nutrients are required. Let's talk about this in more detail.
The substrates used in modern aquaristics for planted aquariums can be roughly divided into two groups: neutral and nutrient.
Neutral substrates are the same substrates that are used in fish aquariums. The requirements for them, accordingly, are the same – chemical neutrality, roundness of particles, high decorative qualities. They should not release any minerals into the water so as not to affect its chemical composition. The particles of the substrate should not have sharp edges so as not to damage the roots of plants during transplantation. The color palette is less important, since in a densely planted planted tank the substrate is almost invisible, but dark colors are often used to advantageously emphasize the bright greenery of the underwater garden.
The main disadvantage of neutral substrates when used in planted aquariums is the lack of nutrients in them. Such substrates are often called "empty". Natural silting of the substrate from the vital activity of the inhabitants occurs quite slowly, at least six months, so during this period it is necessary to periodically feed the plants with root fertilizers, and after the start of active growth, it is additionally required to add liquid fertilizers with macro- and microelements to the water.
At the same time, it is necessary to accurately calculate and carefully control the frequency and volume of liquid fertilizers applied so as not to exceed the permissible concentration, otherwise instead of active plant growth, you can get a violent growth of algae, and sometimes even the death of inhabitants sensitive to the chemical composition of the water. As neutral substrates, crushed stone of natural sands, gravel, brick chips, volcanic lava with a fraction of 2 to 5 mm are usually used.
Nutrient substrates appeared on the market relatively recently, but have already gained great recognition among amateurs and professionals. Unlike neutral ones, nutrient substrates are made specifically for planted aquariums from organic raw materials (soil, humus, clay, peat, silt or their mixtures), so they initially contain a large amount of nutrients. After starting an aquarium with a nutrient substrate, no root feeding is required; planted plants almost immediately begin to grow. In addition, such a substrate begins to release a complex of mineral and organic substances into the water, which can significantly reduce the dosage or even abandon the use of liquid fertilizers.
Thanks to such properties of nutrient substrates, the maintenance of modern planted aquariums has become noticeably simpler. The only inconvenience when using nutrient substrates is the need for fairly abundant water changes at the stage of starting the aquarium. This is done to remove excess nutrients from the water that cannot yet be fully absorbed by recently planted plants.
Also, multi-layer substrates are classified as nutrient. In a planted aquarium, two-layer and three-layer substrates are of practical importance. Two-layer substrates consist of a decorative substrate and a nutrient layer underneath it. The nutrient layer is usually the same nutrient substrate that has the same characteristics, but differs in a less attractive appearance, since it will still be hidden under the top layer.
The height of each layer should not exceed 3-5 cm. When the height of these two layers is expected to be more than 10 cm, a three-layer substrate is used, in which the lowest layer is drainage – crushed volcanic lava, large expanded clay, etc. Drainage is necessary to maintain weak water circulation in the substrate and prevent stagnant anaerobic zones. To prevent the layers from mixing when transplanting plants, they are separated during the laying process in the aquarium with mosquito netting or construction mesh.
Another type of nutrient substrate is artificial porous substrate, made from fired clay and resembling fine expanded clay in appearance. How can ceramics, in essence, be a nutrient substrate? The explanation is simple. The substrate consists of round porous granules and, when placed in an aquarium, behaves like a sponge, absorbing all excess nutrients dissolved in the water.
After some time, having become saturated, such a substrate begins to release nutrients to plant roots, thus turning from neutral into nutrient-rich. Moreover, billions of microscopic pores become an ideal habitat for beneficial bacteria involved in processing organic matter and establishing and maintaining biological balance in the aquarium.